Happy New Year, Tweens!!

May your 2013 be as sparkly as the glistening twinkle of your go-to glossiest gloss...  

Happy Holidays!!

Enjoy your break and don't get "Locknesia!!"

Lingo Lesson:

Locknesia: To have locker combo amnesia after long vacation breaks.  Resulting outcome is having to ask your homeroom teacher for your locker combination upon returning.

Usage: “Snap! I’m running late to first period and have locknesia. I can’t even remember my combo.”

L & C's How to Have a Ball at the Mall...

*Cover your eyes with a scarf and have your friend lead you around.

*Take pictures, or record a movie with your cell phone.

* Page each other at Macy’s or other department store.

*Invent a scavenger hunt.

*Go up the down escalator and vice versa.

*Sing for money while having your BFF drop change in a cup.

*Get pictures taken with Santa at Christmas.

*Spy on boys from school, and document with cell phone. If cute, follow them into a movie. If not cute, ditch afterward. 

*Try on cocktail dresses and heels; take pictures.

*Get smoothies and drink seductively; fake smoke with the straws.

*Take goofy pictures in one of those photo booths with the curtain.

*Buy fake handcuffs and walk around linked together.

*Hum or whistle as you stroll the mall. When grownups give you the eye, look around as if trying to identify the culprit.

*Cut out store coupons, and hand them out.

*Tell a salesperson you’re there for the modeling job.

Beware: Be careful of running into the parental units or anyone who might know the parental units. Also, be on the lookout for fun-killing adults who might see the above-listed activities as “shenanigans” and report them to mall security. If this occurs, have a quick escape plan.

Stuff You’ll Need:

*Dollarage

*Your bestie(s)

*Parents’ credit card, if possible

Beat the Uniform Blues...

Stuck in a uniform but still want to be a fashionista?

Read our Middle School Survival Guide and find out how:

http://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Dana/e/B005ZYWFJA

Happy Cyber Monday!!!

Don't know what to give your BFF for the holidays? Show her she's amazing by giving Lucy and CeCee's How to Survive (and Thrive) in Middle School.  It's not only the perfect gift, but it will allow some serious laughs and quality bonding time.

http://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Dana/e/B005ZYWFJA

How to Give a Stellar Speech (When You'd Rather Hurl!)

       So, expect that sometime in middle school, you will have to make that dreaded speech.  We're not going to lie. The art of elocution can be a harrowing experience. But, if you view it as a test of your character, resolve, and fortitude, you will succeed.

       Follow our speech tips and you’ll do fine (and hopefully avoid the need to hurl).

How to Talk Your Way to an A:

*Tongue train: Don’t think you can get up there and wing it, especially if you have the nervies. Try practicing your speech in front of a mirror at first; then, test out your parents and maybe a sibling or two.

* Jitter bennies: Work your jitters to your advantage. A little stress is a good thing. It will keep you sharp and energetic.

*Fake it till you make it: Okay, you’re a Nervous Nellie, but no needs to know it. Take a series of deep, slow breaths to release your fear. Wiggle your toes in order to channel excess energy. No one will know what you’re doing, and it’ll keep you from fidgeting while speaking.

*Eye up: Make eye contact but with certain exceptions—don’t look at your best friend, worst enemy, or the handsome hottie you’re crushing on. You could easily lose your concentration.

*Prop out: Use cool props, like a PowerPoint or decorative poster. This will make you more at ease since everyone will be looking at it, and not you.

*Filler fighters: Fight the urge to “um” and “ah” your way through the speech. Ums and ahs are pesky little fillers that can be distracting to the listener.

*Hold up: Don’t be a speed racer. Annunciate any key words, and speak slowly. Pause between main points, and speak as if everything is of extreme importance—kind of like Yoda did when instructing his younglings at the Jedi temple. 

*Gear up: Wear something you love. If you look confident, you’ll feel confident.

*Grin and bear it: Your smile is your secret weapon. It will put you and your throng of listeners at ease.

Helpful Hint: If you’re feeling supernervous, talk to your teacher about it. He or she may tend to be easier on you when calculating your grade. Also, ask to go last. At this point, no one’s really listening, and you’ll be more at ease. Either way, we're sure you're going to rock it!  

L&C's Groovy Dance Tips

So it' time for the school dance.  Feeling self-conscious? Just bust a move in a big group. You’ll feel less inhibited. Remember, confidence is key! If you act like you have rhythm, you’ll look like you have rhythm.              

*Be bold: Ask someone to dance. If he says no, don’t take it personally. He is the one who are missing out—not you. 

*Play nice: Think twice about turning a guy down. Maybe he’s not your ideal hottie, but what’s one little dance?         

                     

Style out (but be comfortable): You don’t want a wardrobe malfunction when doing the jerk! Always wear a fun accessory—like a sequined hair barrette or a sparkly scarf! It will put you in a festive mood.

Pre-Dance Primp ’n’ Prance: The week before, try on outfits and practice your groove moves in front of the mirror. It sounds corny, but it will give you that extra dose of confidence the day of.

Tune-age: The DJ is usually open to song requests. Have your faves in mind so you can dance to them like no one’s business.

Slow it down: The slow dances are a good time to relax and catch your breath. If a boy asks you to dance, just smile and accept. To avoid “awkward arm,” casually place your arms around the guy’s neck while he places his hands on your hips. Look him directly in the eye (if you really like him) or look around (if you’re lukewarm).

Helpful Hint from CeCee: Even if you’re a gawky maladroit (like me), don’t wait too long to get your groove on at a school dance. A lot of kids just stand around in clumpish crowd clusters until the last ten minutes. Then, they all scramble to the dance floor and go nuts. Trust me—let loose as soon as the music starts. Twirl, whirl, mash, mosh, pirouette, gyrate, and shake what your mama gave ya. You’ll be glad you did!

Helpful Hint from Lucy: Watch the PDA on the slow dances. If you get a little too close to your sweetie, some teachers or chaperones might write you up, which is a major drag. 

Check It Out (Literally!)

Lucy and CeCee's How to Survive (and Thrive) is now available at Nashville Public Libraries...

Lucy's Top Ten Homework Excuses:

If you need something besides “My dog ate it,” see examples below:

1 - My printer isn’t working, and it could take up to a week to fix. (Present an empty print cartridge for corroborating evidence.)

2 - I've been advised against doing any homework because a bad grade could damage my already fragile self-esteem.

3 - I’m practicing nonconformity. Since most of the students did their homework, completing it would make me a conformist.

4 - I had symptoms of illness last night, and when I googled it, it said I had West Nile.

5-  - I found the assignment particularly uninspiring and didn’t see how it aligned with the standards, so I read the dictionary instead.

6 - Shhh. I’m a superhero and out on duty.

7 - I used invisible ink and didn’t realize it would be an issue.

8 - My thyroid is acting up.

9 - Okay, I’m sorry, but the directions were just not clear, unless this assignment was on the virtues of ambiguity.

10 - We had homework?


If all else fails, “No, seriously, the dog ate my homework.”

Helpful Hints:

*Keep your poker face on.

*Cry on the spot.

*Believe in what you’re saying.

*Always say it with a tone of respect (or at least fake it!)


(From Lucy and CeCee's How to Survive (and Thrive) in Middle School)

Tween Book Club Rocks...

The Ultimate Tween Book Club's bookshelf: read
31 members
This is a Book Club dedicated to tweens and anyone who loves MR (middle reader) books.

Books we've read

View this group on Goodreads »

How to Bring Home the A's...

Be O/O: The first step to earning good grades is to be orderly and organized. I like to have a binder and spiral for each of my core classes. It may seem extreme, but I also color code my notebooks by subject and cover my text in the same hue.

            Example:             Math—Blue

                                    English—Red

                                    History—Purple

                                    Science—Yellow              

      

It’s super helpful—especially when you’re running late between classes due to annoying humanoid diversions.

*Date It: Carry an agenda book with a calendar so you can write what’s due, when quizzes are scheduled, and any upcoming assignments. I like to highlight long-term projects to remind myself of those don’t-wait due dates.

 *Hardest Subs First: Study for your challenging subjects first. My nemesis is algebra, so I get that out of the way before everything else. If you have a quiz coming up—like spelling or vocabulary words—look them over for a few minutes every day before the quiz. When Friday comes along (the magic day for quizzes), you’re 95 percent there.

*Study Smart: Before a chapter quiz, highlight the important components in one color and the details in another. Try to remember a few specific details or an important quote if it’s an essay exam. The teacher will be impressed and think you read vigilantly.

 *Get Guidance: If confused, ask the master gurus themselves! If they allow it, stay after class, and ask for guidance. They may bestow some knowledge nuggets, paving the way to the Holy Grail of A-ville. (At the very least, they’ll appreciate your extra initiative and remember this come report card time.)

Stuff You’ll Need:

*General school supplies (notebooks, pens, highlighters, binders, clips, etc.)

*Calendar

*Organization

Hey - Spookalicious Tweens...
Have a gorylicious Halloween!! 

 Love and zombie guts –
Lucy & CeCee